Perfectly Wrong
by calleighstorres
Summary: The charm on Ryan's chain was all it took for Calleigh to realise what she wanted. Implied EC. Calleigh/Ryan friendship!


**Authors Notes - Reviews (/Feedback) on my stories mean a lot and help me improve, I really do appreciate them! Thank you :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own CSI: Miami**

**\- Just to clarify; I don't ship Eric x Calleigh but I had an idea for this. This is my first HipHuggers fan fiction with them as an actual pairing, lol I'm sorry this is so bad. Hope it isn't too badly written. I'm not a true Hiphuggers fan which seems to reflect in my stories.. oops..**

_"PERFECTLY WRONG"_

"You don't have to believe in love to fall in love." Once said the sweater vest wearer.

Not many people really knew what he was on about. Or his reason for saying so. But that didn't mean he wasn't wrong. For a smart man, he sure did have a funny way of showing his intelligence in the most unknowing way. Ryan saw what was going on between Calleigh and Eric. And being the most stubborn out of the three, he knew denial when he saw it. And they were lying straight through their teeth about what they were as a couple. Ryan knew that. Taunting them about it was the best part for the younger CSI. He was the bystander in all this. Watching as how they took so many major events that had led up to whatever they were now.

Sitting alone on the couch in the break room, Wolfe was listening to 'The Reason' by Hoobastank. If there was one thing he hadn't wanted his friends to do - it was to make the mistake of picking the wrong person. He was no believer in faith but he was sure every person had someone they were perfectly wrong for. And that's what Eric and Calleigh were. The wrong kind of right. The two fate shouldn't put together but does anyway.

Calleigh had wondered what the younger man did when he wasn't working. Though she already knew his schedule, she felt like there was something that she was missing. That he wasn't telling her. As his friend, she really did want to know what had made him get so lost in thought that just consumed his attention span. She stood by the door, watching him play with the necklace around his neck, mouthing the lyrics to the song playing. It had changed songs as she arrived.

She didn't doubt the fact he was a conscientious thinker. Always wanting to know more.

His chain was something she hadn't seen very often, so she never found out what the charm was. She'd assumed it was a gift of some kind. But it looked cute when he fiddled with it. And he distracted her from her confusing almost relationship with Eric. When it came to Wolfe, she became.. softer. Calleigh wasn't sure if it was because they were close or if it was just a natural thing she did without really knowing how. Her accent was thicker when she spoke with him. She used her 'Louisiana voice' rather than her 'Miami voice' when speaking to him. It was noticeable to those who took the time to really review their friendship. It was one she had taken for granted too many times before. And every time she almost lost him, she valued what they had even more.

Ryan was the one to go to for advice. Not because he had literally experienced what she was going through, but because he always knew the perfect advice to give someone for their problems. Or he was just somebody there for comfort. Like a big teddy bear. Cuddly and warm.

Besides from that, he knew a lot. A lot of science. A lot of maths. And a lot about psychology. He would ask about Delko in which she would reply with an answer that ultimately shoved away the question and questioned his intelligence based on what he asked. He was too good to fall for that though. Somehow he knew about her and the Cuban before they had even let themselves get intimate in a more-than-friends way. One that scared her. She had a habit of falling for the wrong guy. Duquesne had been wrong quite a few times. Her 'bad boy' type turned out being a line full of self revolving, idiotic men that couldn't have known better.

Wolfe liked to tease her about her on-going process of getting into a proper relationship with Eric. It annoyed her, even if he was somewhat right about it making no sense at all. They couldn't even put a label on their relationship other than complicated. It didn't help that they were doing that right in front of Boa Vista, a former lover of Eric's and the fourth team member. That did create a semi-awkward dynamic between the three. Ryan was glad he wasn't involved. Over the moon. He'd tried it out with Natalia, they didn't even stay together after the one date. They were just too different. And he knew she had only agreed to the date because she wanted a rebound. That made him feel used, and Ryan Wolfe didn't get used by anyone. Not again. He promised himself that.

Calleigh smiled to herself as she stared upon her best friend, who appeared to be staring at a blank wall. "I don't appreciate you brainstorming about Eric when I'm trying to be zen." The ballistics expert chuckled and rolled her eyes, leaving the doorway and walking over to join him on the couch. Ryan gave her a look. "Don't worry, I don't want to know your Eric fantasies." He assured her, flashing the blonde a flirtatious wink. Calleigh jokingly hit him, plopping herself beside him. "That's crap and you know it, Wolfie."

"You calling me _that_ shows how much time you've spent with Delko." He said with a smirk.

The petite blonde scoffed. "You have too much spare time." "All the better to tease you with." Calleigh knew he wasn't going to let it go. Not until he really knew what was going on. Much like how she wanted to know more about his chain. But sitting next to him, she soon realized what was on the end of the chain. A Sun charm.

"Pretty necklace."

Ryan smiled. "Thanks. It reminds me there's a light outside even when you're in the shadows." He mumbled the last part but it was just audible for her to understand what he was saying. "I love that." She replied with a warm smile. Ryan nodded. Calleigh was confused. He could tell something was distracting her. Though he didn't know a lot about relationships, he knew Calleigh better than she knew herself. Even if he hadn't even realised that. The older woman was his mentor after all.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Of course babe, just a little conflicted."

Wolfe unhooked the chain from his neck and moved aside her hair, putting the chain around her neck and gently doing the chain up. "There's always a light." He whispered. Calleigh looked up at him with the sea green eyes he knew to only belong to her.

The blonde observed the necklace that was now around her neck. Ryan was right. And he meant what he said, even if it didn't look, or sound, like he did. She would find her way through whatever was in the way of her and Eric. The conscience that kept her strong will and assertiveness sharp. The one that didn't allow herself to fall. She wanted more out of what they had. It was really now or never.

Hurting Natalia wouldn't be great. Especially since her and Eric had remained close as friends. But she had to do what was best for her, not anyone else. If that meant it would cause a little friction within the team.. that wasn't necessarily her fault. Or Eric's. How they felt about one another was so much more than what was in their work lives. She wanted to pursue that. There wasn't a doubt Delko wanted to as well.

"Thank you." She said to Ryan, who was now playing with the zipper of his bomber jacket. He smiled. "Anytime, Cal." _Cal. _She would never get tired of hearing that from him.

She kissed his cheek (in gratitude for the necklace along with the words of wisdom) before the older woman left the break room. Calleigh had something to do and she wasn't going to waste any more time.

Ryan was completely disoriented by what had just happened. He meant to give her the jewellery. And the advice. He hadn't expected her to make sense of what he was even saying. But he received a kiss on the cheek, and to him, that proved he had done it right. Calleigh Duquesne was a hard person to make smile unless you knew exactly what to say, or how to make her find you adorable. Apparently that's what he was to her. "Yes!" he celebrated to himself.

Deep down, Ryan knew Eric and Calleigh were going to get together. The only thing he'd done to shift them was tell them to follow their hearts and it seemed to lead to the same place. A perfectly wrong direction. One they'd follow anyway. Meant to be is overrated.

_ERIC AND CALLEIGH WERE READY TO DEFINE THAT. _


End file.
